Portable cabinet and service strip



May 2, 1967 R w, PETERSON ET AL 3,317,261

PORTABLE CABINET AND SERVICE STRIP Filed Dec. 30, 1965 INVENTORS Rages W Peterson Warren R. Block BY @(wmmu, cZ/[Zbm ialu; 5 ATTORNEY WITNESS United States Patent Ofiice 3,317,261 Patented May 2, 1967 3,317,261 PGRTABLE CABINET AND SERVICE STRIP Roger W. Peterson and Warren R. Black, Muskegon, Mich., assignors to E. H. Sheldon & Company, Muskegon, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Dec. 30, 1965, Ser. No. 517,684 6 Claims. (Cl. 312-249) This invention relates to a portable cabinet and service strip, and more particularly to a mobile cabinet or other body equipped with means for rendering it immobile or fixed in position adjacent a service strip or support strip. While the invention is applicable to a large variety of structures or bodies, it will be described herein, for the purpose of illustration, in connection with a mobile cabinet having a rear portion adapted to be releasably carried by a support strip.

In laboratories, it is often necessary to move heavy cabinets or other bodies from one part of a room to other parts, and when the cabinets are located for use, it is necessary that they be firmly fixed in poistion and leveled in alignment with other structures such as, for example, a service strip. For moving such cabinets or other heavy bodies, rollers or other anti-friction devices may be employed, but these militate against stability when the cabinet is located against the service strip or other wall, and further considerable time and effort is required to align the parts so as to provide a fixed usable structure.

An object of the present invention is to overcome the difiiculties described above and to provide a readily movable cabinet structure, and the like, while at the same time anchoring it in a desired aligned position in a minimum of time and with a minimum of effort. Another object is to provide a mobile body in combination with a fixed support strip enabling the body to be moved to a desired location on the strip and anchored on the strip as an immobile or fixed structure. A still further object is to provide, in combination with such a cabinet or body, a support strip equipped with a ramp which enables the cabinet to be moved upon the support strip and aligned with a wall, service strip, or other structure automatically, while also providing means for rendering the roller or anti-friction means of the mobile body inoperative. Other specific objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds.

The invention is shown, in an illustrative embodiment, by the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a mobile body such as a cabinet; FIG. 2, a broken perspective view of a wall equipped with a service strip and a support strip; FIG. 3, a view similar to FIGS. 1 and 2 but showing the cabinet mounted upon the support strip; FIG. 4, a broken side view in elevation showing the mobile cabinet in spaced relation from the support strip just prior to engagement therewith; FIG. 5, a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the cabinet engaging the support strip; FIG. 6, a view similar to FIG. 5 but showing adjustment feet with which the front portion of the cabinet is equipped extending downwardly to elevate and level the cabinet and to render the roller means inoperative; FIG. 7, an enlarged broken sectional view of the support strip; and FIG. 8, a broken enlarged detail view of the vertically adjustable leg structure.

In the illustration given, designates a cabinet equipped with roller means for rendering it mobile. In the illustration given, the cabinet is provided at its rear with casters 11 in spaced-apart relation and the forward portion of the cabinet is equipped with a centrally located caster '12. It will be understood that the casters, rollers or other suitable anti-friction means may be of any desired number and located in any desired position for rendering the cabinet movable over the floor of the room.

At the forward side of the cabinet, at each corner thereof, is provided a leg support bracket 13, as shown best in FIG. 8, the lower leg of the bracket being threaded to receive a screw member 14. The lower end of the screw member is provided with a foot 15. The top of the screw member is provided wtih a wheel 16 fixed to the screw 14, providing a ready means for rotating the screw to elevate the foot or to lower the foot. It will be understood that any suitable leg adjusting mechanism may be provided for extending the leg downwardly into engagement with the floor so as to elevate the cabinet and the roller means and thus render the roller means inoperative.

The cabinet 10, as shown best in FIG. 4, is provided at its rear with a support ledge 17 adapted to be brought into engagement with an elevated support strip 18. The support strip 18 may be mounted upon the floor of a room or upon a wall of a room in any suitable manner. In the illustration given, the room is provided with a service strip 19 having a top counter space 20, and at its bottom side the support strip 18 is mounted, the forward end of the support strip being inclined downwardly to i provide an access ramp 21.

In the operation of the structure, the mobile cabinet 10 may be moved through the laboratory room or rooms to a desired location and the cabinet may then be pushed toward the location so that the ledge portion 17 engages the ramp 21 and slides upwardly under its momentum upon the top of the support strip 18. In this operation, the rear casters or rollers 11 are raised, as seen best in FIG. 3, while the weight of the cabinet at the forward end still rests upon the roller 12. The operator then rotates the wheels 16 to move the adjustable feet 15 downwardly into engagement with the floor and to elevate the forward portion of the cabinet so that the roller 12 moves away from the floor and becomes inoperative.

or body through the action of the ramp, adustable feet structure, etc.

The ramp 21 notonly provides a slide upon which the cabinet can readily be raised at one end, but also it pro- 3 with the support strip, but also readily align the cabinet with the service strip or other wall structure, automatically disengaging the rear rollers 11 and requiring the operator merely to adjust the legs at the forward end of the cabinet for the leveling of the structure.

While, in the foregoing specification, we have described structure in considerable detail for the purpose of illustrating embodiments of the invention, it will be understood that such detail or details may be varied widely by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of our invention.

We claim:

1. In combination with a support strip extending above a floor, a mobile body equipped with anti-friction means for movement on the floor, said body being provided at one side with a ledge adapted to rest on said support strip and on an opposite side with at least one vertically adjustable leg, said leg being extensible against the floor to render said anti-friction means inoperative and said body immobile.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said support is provided at its front with a downwardly inclined ramp.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which said leg is mounted on a screw member threadedly engaging a support bracket and means are provided for rotating the screw.

4. In combination with a support strip extending above a floor, said support strip having its front portion inclined downwardly to provide an access ramp, a mobile body equipped with roller means at its front and rear and also provided at its rear with a raised support ledge adapted to slide up said ramp and to rest on said support strip, and vertically adjustable legs mounted on the forward portion of said cabinet and extensible downwardly to elevate the forward portion of said cabinet above the roller means thereunder.

5. The structure of claim 4 in which the mobile body is a cabinet equipped at its rear with rollers and at its front with a centrally located roller.

6. The structure of claim 4 in which said support strip is mounted upon a service strip having a top and said cabinet, when raised by said ramp and said adjustable legs, has its top surface flush with said service strip top.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,785,168 12/1930 Young 21438.44 1,921,420 8/1933 Macourek 280-4324 X 2,094,522 9/1937 Blake 280-4324 X 2,841,410 7/1958 Kessler et al 312-250 X 3,257,933 6/1966 Vavlinson 312-642 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,314,014 11/1962 France.

701,375 12/1953 Great Britain.

DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

I. T. MCCALL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A SUPPORT STRIP EXTENDING ABOVE A FLOOR, A MOBILE BODY EQUIPPED WITH ANTI-FRICTION MEANS FOR MOVEMENT ON THE FLOOR, SAID BODY BEING PROVIDED AT ONE SIDE WITH A LEDGE ADAPTED TO REST ON SAID SUPPORT STRIP AND ON AN OPPOSITE SIDE WITH AT LEAST ONE VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE LEG, SAID LEG BEING EXTENSIBLE AGAINST THE FLOOR TO RENDER SAID ANTI-FRICTION MEANS INOPERATIVE AND SAID BODY IMMOBILE. 